The Hidden Dangers of Secondhand Smoking

Recent studies from the National Institute on Drug Abuse point out that second-hand smoke can affect the brain at the same level as actually smoking. The research was conducted by using a positron emission tomography to look at the stimulation of nicotine receptors within the brain. Within one hour of being exposed to smoking for both smokers and non-smokers, researchers saw nicotine receptor stimulation similar to the activation to those who are actually smoking.It was also concluded that second-hand smoke may prepare a young person’s brain for smoke, thus making them a more likely target to become addicted if they do smoke. The research may also explain why being around people that smoke provokes a smoker’s addictive impulses. Archives of General Psychiatry,

http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.51